Seconds to a Heartbeat
by DreamEscape16
Summary: "Steve...I will find a way." he cried out, still gasping for breath, his chiseled and rugged features slick with tears. Lines of tears ran down his cheeks, making them dissolve in the feverish sweat rolling from his drenched brown locks. "I will save you..."


** Seconds to a Heartbeat**

**All characters belong to Marvel Comics**

**I own nothing.**

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><p>All it took was a moment to see his life flash before his eyes; the smoldering flames of the explosion cloaked over his frozen body. His heart pounded rapidly inside his chest; he was barely breathing. Captain Steven Grant Rogers, the defiant and noble soldier that carried freedom, truth and hope on his shoulders had reached the impasse of his life.<p>

Although he was rendered to be like an indestructible Greek deity, a patron of liberty, and a protector for all the little guys facing the bullies on the battlefront; he was still just a man leading young soldiers through the enemy lines.

He was thought to be the symbol of an undeniable valor, unbreakable defiance and a calm leadership, but he was also young, and he had dreams to hold onto when he watched blood seep into the muddy earth, departing from lifeless bodies of soldiers laying on the ground with fear frozen deep within their paled faces.

The price of freedom was always a high cost.

His never felt so defeated, weak and scared. He'd stared into the face of the enemy, watched the Red Skull reveal his true identity, ripping off the flesh of a man to divulge the visage of a debased monster.

In those twenty seconds, he had lost his bearings, strength and determination.

He was back in a Brooklyn alleyway, staring at the massive bully ready to deck his fists into his skull. His chest tightened; pain went deep into his muscles and bones. Staring at the flaming embers blocking his escape; he felt his resilient heart thump faster and faster. His rib cage jostled as he released a staggered breath and swallowed down his constricting terrors.

"Steve," Bucky Barnes hollard back, huskily, his hands gripped over the steel rails of the ledge across from Captain America. "Don't be stupid. Find yourself some rope or somethin'..." His voice was frantic pitches of breath; he kept his steel blue eyes settled on his best friend.

Tears overplayed his emotions and the thralls of lucid pain that he felt penetrate further inside his bones.

His frail body had been weaken by Zola's inhumane experiments and the breaches of starvation that left his stomach empty with bile churning with each injection. No pain compared to the feeling of his soul twisting as he looked at his friend. There was division between them now, but he had to let go of the barriers his pride and stubbornness constructed. He had to show his true heart-not a brazen smirk or a false word to give Steve confidence.

No, he needed to drop his walls, allow them to crumble down and unleash the real James Buchanan Barnes.

Blinking away his heavy tears, Bucky looked long and hard at his friend, taking in every detail to remember this heart-wrenching moment. He needed to hold onto these agonizing seconds. Settling his watery blue eyes he stared at his blood brother. He refused to break his eye contact.

Steve carried the alloy shield, it was strapped to his broad shoulder blades.

The first Avenger wore leather laced boots, his bulky sculpted body was dressed fully in a brown motorcycle jacket with suspenders with pouches. A blue shirt with the white star stitched on the center and carried a loaded pistol in the hostler attached to his pants, and resting over his ruffled golden locks was a dark helmet. Sweat dripped over his temples and down the chiseled lines of his youthful face.

"Bucky," Steve echoed back, breathlessly. "You need to get out of here!" he ordered.

"Steve I'm not ditching you...Punk!" Barnes yelled back, his raspy voice that emitting estranged cries drowned with the screeches of the metal beams falling in the clouds of smoky air.

Feeling his heart skip a beat, he shifting his gaze around him, the young soldier looked for a dangling rope, chain..anything that would assist Steve to swing to the safe side of the hanger.

The numbness of the substance Zola infused in his veins made his woozy; he lost concentration for split second, and his clammy hands fumbled over the steel pressed against his hip bones.

His mind was scattered as he tried to regain his focus, reeling himself from the torturous waves sizzling against his skull. His whole body was shaking. He tried to clear his throat and think but he was still addled. Everything was spinning.

"Steve...I will find a way." he cried out, still gasping for breath, his chiseled and rugged features slick with tears. Lines of tears ran down his cheeks, making them dissolve in the feverish sweat rolling from his drenched brown locks. "I will save you..."

"No.." Steve felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. His crystal blue eyes enlarged as the flames rose higher. His mouth hung lamely open and strong jaw dropped as his chest heaved out a panic filled breath. His face tensed and no words managed to escape from the depths of his throat.

He knew this was the last moment he would stare into the paled blue eyes of his best friend-his family. He wanted to say so much to Bucky, but he froze up and wept.

His eyes glazed with tears. He unceremoniously sobbed, his face glistening with wetness. He was becoming overwhelmed by heartache and dread. "You can't save me, Bucky..." He yelled out, his voice dimming with defeat. "If you don't get out here...You'll die!"

_No_, Bucky thought, mashing his teeth into his quivering lip. His heart cowered and jolted at the deafening sound of metal grinding around them. He shook his head and seethed out a sharp breath, "I'm not leaving without you, punk." he blurted out roughly.

He clenched his jaw, biting inside his cheeks, and looked deeply at his friend, still seeing him as the frail and sickly golden haired boy who'd use to follow him around as a shadow. A little brother.

"You-you have to try Steve...I can't watch you die...I CAN'T!" he roared, tasting the saltiness of his tears dribble over his lips.

Steve felt numb, his arm raised as he gestured back to Barnes, "Just go. Get out of here, Buck!" he raised his voice, feeling the heat of flames warm his blood. He was prepared to die.

"No, Steve," Bucky screamed, his face contorted with pain. His heart breaking into pieces. "Not without you." he urged, pleading with the dread weaving in his soul, tears cascading down wildly down his tensed face. "You can't ditch me, Rogers. You can't leave me...Jump!"

Steve listened to his friend's desperation, and quickly nodded. "I'll try for you, Bucky," he took a step back, focusing on Bucky's eyes, seeing the dire flames well in the depth of his pale blue eyes and he felt a calming enter him.

_I gonna do this for Bucky..._

With a large gulp of air filling in his lungs; Steve charged forward, leaping into the air; he used every muscle in his body and vaulted high above the roaring flames, keeping his determined gaze locked steadily on his friend.

Within seconds, he gripped the steel rail, slipping, but Bucky was there to pull him up in a heartbeat.

'Don't you dare do that to me again, punk," Bucky sniffled, and wrapped his arms over Steve's broad and armored shoulders, embracing into a brotherly hug, and held the super-soldier close. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Stevie. You're my brother...My stupid little...uh..big brother."

Steve lightly smiled unashamedly, pulled away and looked sternly into Bucky's teary blue eyes, "Let's get out here, Sergeant Barnes."

Bucky nodded slowly, upturning the curvy edges of his full lips into a big, genuine smile, his eyes grew bright. His heartbeat regulated. "Steve..."

"Yeah, Buck...?"

"Thanks for coming back for me..." he whispered in a honest tone, slurring his words, and then he rested his weakened body against Steve's shoulder. "Until the end of the line pal..." he whispered.

Steve smiled to himself, and then he enclosed his left arm over Bucky's back, holding the young, liberated soldier securely as he walked them both to the small exit.

He never let Bucky go.


End file.
